Wilfried Zaha tipped for the top with England after turning down Ivory Coast

IAN HOLLOWAY says that Wilfried Zaha has all it takes to become a world-beater.

Wilfried Zaha is wrestling with a choice: England or the country of his birth, Ivory Coast []

Holloway has worked with Zaha, 20, for only a few days since taking over at Crystal Palace but already sees the potential of the forward who has been called up by England for the friendly with Sweden.

Roy Hodgson will now hope to convince Zaha to commit to England, especially as he turned down the chance to play for the Ivory Coast in the African Nations Cup.

Skipper Steven Gerrard has been cleared to travel after a precautionary scan on a knee injury suffered against Chelsea on Sunday and is set to win his 100th cap on Wednesday.

“Zaha
is so refreshing, so innocent in a way, he likes taking people on and
beating them. I’ve no doubt he can beat anybody in the world if he is
confident,” said Holloway.

Zaha is so refreshing, so innocent in a way, he likes taking people on and beating them. I’ve no doubt he can beat anybody in the world if he is confident

Crystal Palace boss Ian Holloway

The Palace
boss is praying this call-up does not damage Zaha’s rapid progress. The
club’s owners have said they would be mad to sell despite interest from
Arsenal and Spurs.

At his previous club,
Blackpool, Holloway watched as young players Tom Ince and Matt Phillips
took a backward step after coming into the national spotlight and does
not want a repeat.

“We are very mindful that
Wilfried was only 20 on Saturday and we want to play it all down and
make sure he enjoys himself and not expect too much of him,” said
Holloway.

“I’m sure he will be overwhelmed by
all this attention. I’m not going to let my mouth write a cheque that
this boy’s body can’t cash. It’s about his long-term development.

“I
have had Tom Ince at Blackpool and people are talking about him in a
good light. He had one game for Liverpool and sometimes these big clubs
stack ’em and rack ’em, and it’s not the best for us in this country.
Hopefully he will take it in his stride and it won’t knock him sideways,
like it did with Matt Phillips last summer and Tom Ince in the
Under-21s.

“He’s replacing Wayne Rooney – can he
do that? No. I don’t want us to expect too much of a lad who is just
20. Zaha is at the right club and getting games.”

“If
you finish bottom of the Premier League you get £60million in
prize-money. And with parachute payments, you’re guaranteed £100m. It is
such a massive amount that selling your best player when you have a
good chance of promotion makes no sense. The figure of £20m has been
talked about. But he is not for sale.”

Zaha is wrestling with a choice, though: England or the country of his birth, Ivory Coast.

He
moved here at four from Abidjan, but the pull of his roots is strong –
helped by Didier Drogba urging him to represent the Ivory Coast.

After
five withdrawals from the squad, Zaha was called up for the Sweden game
on Sunday. He agreed to join up with Hodgson’s squad because even if he
played in the non-competitive fixture it would not alter his options.